This list contains Italian words with their English translations. The words included here are those that you are likely to find in genealogical sources. If the word you are looking for is not on this list, please consult an Italian-English dictionary. (See the “Additional Resources” section.)

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This list contains Italian words with their English translations. The words included here are those that you are likely to find in genealogical sources. If the word you are looking for is not on this list, please consult an Italian-English dictionary. (Also, see the “Additional Resources” section.)

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Italian is a Romance language derived from Latin. Many of the words resemble those of Latin. See [[Latin Genealogical Word List|Latin Genealogical Word List (34077)]]. Italian is spoken in Italy and the southern part of Switzerland in the cantons of Ticino and Graubünden. Italian is also spoken in Yugoslavia near the border with Trieste. Some of the records of Corsica, Nice, and Savoy were written in Italian before those areas became part of France. Clusters of Italian immigrants in major cities like New York, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto, and Melbourne also speak Italian. Sicilian, Neapolitan, Romanesque, and Venetian are major dialects of Italian, and they use words similar to the words on this list. Several other minor dialects are spoken in the various provinces of Italy.

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Italian is a Romance language derived from Latin. Many of the words resemble those of Latin. See [[Latin Genealogical Word List|Latin Genealogical Word List (34077)]]. Italian is spoken in Italy and the southern part of Switzerland in the cantons of Ticino and Graubünden. Italian is also spoken in Yugoslavia near the border with Trieste. Some of the records of Corsica, Nice, and Savoy were written in Italian before those areas became part of France. Clusters of Italian immigrants in major cities like New York, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto, and Melbourne also speak Italian. Sicilian, Neapolitan, Romanesque, and Venetian are major dialects of Italian, and they use words similar to the words on this list. Several other minor dialects are spoken in the various provinces of Italy.

== Language Characteristics ==

== Language Characteristics ==

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== Additional Resources ==

== Additional Resources ==

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This word list includes words most commonly found in genealogical sources. For further help, use an Italian- English dictionary. At the Family History Library, the Italian dictionaries are cataloged with the call number 453.21. The following dictionary is also available on microfilm for use in family history centers:

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This word list below includes words most commonly found in genealogical sources. A list of Italian Occupations and the English equivalents can be found at RootsWeb (c[http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mmange/itengocc.html lick on this link]).

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For further help, use an Italian- English dictionary. At the Family History Library, the Italian dictionaries are cataloged with the call number 453.21. The following dictionary is also available on microfilm for use in family history centers:

Genealogical Word List

This list contains Italian words with their English translations. The words included here are those that you are likely to find in genealogical sources. If the word you are looking for is not on this list, please consult an Italian-English dictionary. (Also, see the “Additional Resources” section.)

Italian is a Romance language derived from Latin. Many of the words resemble those of Latin. See Latin Genealogical Word List (34077). Italian is spoken in Italy and the southern part of Switzerland in the cantons of Ticino and Graubünden. Italian is also spoken in Yugoslavia near the border with Trieste. Some of the records of Corsica, Nice, and Savoy were written in Italian before those areas became part of France. Clusters of Italian immigrants in major cities like New York, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto, and Melbourne also speak Italian. Sicilian, Neapolitan, Romanesque, and Venetian are major dialects of Italian, and they use words similar to the words on this list. Several other minor dialects are spoken in the various provinces of Italy.

Language Characteristics

In Italian, the endings of most words vary according to the way the words are used in a sentence. Who— whose—whom or marry—marries—married are examples of words in English with variant forms. This word list gives the most commonly seen form of each Italian word. As you read Italian records, be aware that almost all words vary with usage. Only some variations are explained in this guide.

Gender.

Italian nouns are designated as masculine or feminine. For example, vicinanza (neighborhood) is a feminine word, and villaggio (village) is a masculine word. Generally, nouns ending in !a are feminine, nouns ending !e may be either masculine or feminine, and nouns ending in !o are masculine. Adjectives and articles (a, an, the) will have either masculine or feminine endings for the noun they modify: !a for feminine singular nouns, !o for masculine singular nouns. For example, in Italian you write ava paterna (paternal grandmother) or avo paterno (paternal grandfather).

Plurals.

For nouns ending with !a, the plural is formed by replacing the last letter with !e; for nouns ending in !o or !e, replace the last letter with !i to form the plural. For example, figlia (daughter) becomes figlie (daughters), and padrino (godfather) becomes padrini (godparents). Articles and adjectives take e as the feminine plural ending, and i as the masculine plural ending. Buona figlia becomes buone figlie (good daughters) and buono padrino becomes buoni padrini (good godparents).

Verb tense.

Verbs also vary depending on mood, who is acting, and whether the action is in the past, present, or future. For example, the Italian verb sposare (to marry) could appear with various endings: Present - Past Tenses marry married, was married (she/he) sposa è sposato, fu sposato, sposò (they) sposano sono sposati, furono sposati, sposarono

Diacritic Marks

The Italian language has several additional letters with diacritic marks: à, è, ì, ò, and ù. These diacritic marks indicate a change in pronunciation, but do not affect alphabetical order. They are more often used in recent documents.

Spelling

Spelling rules were not fixed in earlier centuries when records of our ancestors were written. The k, j, and w are only used in foreign words. The following spelling variations may be found:

y or j used for i

i used for j

Additional Resources

This word list below includes words most commonly found in genealogical sources. A list of Italian Occupations and the English equivalents can be found at RootsWeb (click on this link).

For further help, use an Italian- English dictionary. At the Family History Library, the Italian dictionaries are cataloged with the call number 453.21. The following dictionary is also available on microfilm for use in family history centers:

Key Words

To find and use specific types of Italian records, you will need to know some key words in Italian. This section gives key genealogical terms in English and the Italian words with the same or similar meanings. For example, in the first column you will find the English word marriage. In the second column you will find Italian words with meanings such as marry, marriage, wedding, wedlock, unite, and other words used in Italian records to indicate marriage.

English - Italian

banns - pubblicazioni, notificazioni

baptism(s) - battesimo, -i

birth(s) - nata, nascita, -e

burial(s) - seppellimento, sepolto, sepolture, -i

child - neonato, neonata, infante, bambino

christening(s) - battesimo, -i

confirmation(s) - cresima, -e

death(s) - morte, morire, decesso, -i

father - padre

husband - marito, sposo

index - indice

marriage(s) - matrimono, sposato, coniugato, maritato, -i

month - mese

mother - madre

name - nome

parents - genitori

parish - parrocchia

surname - cognome

wife - sposa, moglie

year - anno

General Word List

This general word list includes words commonly seen in genealogical sources. Numbers, months, and days of the week are listed both here and in separate sections that follow this list.

In this list, optional versions of Italian words or variable endings (such as some plural or feminine endings) are given after a hyphen. Parentheses in the English column clarify the definition. In Italian, some words have both a male and female form, such as:

Italian - English

neonato - male child

neonata - female child

When a word has both a male and female version, this word list gives the feminine ending of words after a hyphen, such as:

Italian - English

neonato, -a - male child, female child

cognato, -a - brother-in-law, sister-in-law

cugino, -a - male cousin, female cousin

† = morto, -a - died

Numbers

In some genealogical records, numbers are spelled out. This is especially true with dates. The following list gives the cardinal (for example, 1, 2, 3) and the ordinal (for example, 1st, 2nd, 3rd) versions of each number. Days of the month are usually written in cardinal form. Note that all ordinal numbers are adjectives and will end with; o or a depending on the gender of the word it modifies.

Number / Cardinal / Ordinal

1 uno 1st primo, -a

2 due 2nd secondo, -a

3 tre 3rd terzo, -a

4 quattro 4th quarto, -a

5 cinque 5th quinto, -a

6 sei 6th sesto, -a

7 sette 7th settimo, -a

8 otto 8th ottavo, -a

9 nove 9th nono, -a

10 dieci 10th decimo, -a

11 undici 11th undicesimo, -a

12 dodici 12th dodicesimo, -a

13 tredici 13th tredicesimo, -a

14 quattordici 14th quattordicesimo, -a

15 quindici 15th quindicesimo, -a

16 sedici 16th sedicesimo, -a

17 diciassette 17th diciassettesimo, -a

18 diciotto 18th diciottesimo, -a

19 diciannove 19th diciannovesimo, -a

20 venti 20th ventesimo, -a

21 ventuno 21st ventunesimo, -a

22 ventidue 22nd ventiduesimo, -a

23 ventitre 23rd ventitreesimo, -a

24 ventiquattro 24th ventiquattresimo, -a

25 venticinque 25th venticinquesimo, -a

26 ventisei 26th ventiseiesimo, -a

27 ventisette 27th ventisettesimo, -a

28 ventotto 28th ventottesimo, -a

29 ventinove 29th ventinovesimo, -a

30 trenta 30th trentesimo, -a

31 trentuno 31st trentunesimo, -a

40 quaranta 40th quarantesimo, -a

50 cinquanta 50th cinquantesimo, -a

60 sessanta 60th sessantesimo, -a

70 settanta 70th settantesimo, -a

80 ottanta 80th ottantesimo, -a

90 novanta 90th novantesimo, -a

100 cento 100th centesimo, -a

200 duecento 200th duecentesimo, -a

1000 mille 1000th millesimo, -a

Dates and Time

In Italian records, the registrar often indicated the exact time of day when an event occurred. This is generally written out, for example:

L’anno del Signore milleottocentocinquantasette ed alli undici del mese di gennaio alle ore sei della mattina(In the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred fifty-seven on the eleventh of the month of January at six o’clock in the morning)

To understand Italian dates, use the following lists as well as the preceding “Numbers” section.

Months

English - Italian

January - gennaio

February - febbraio

March - marzo

April - aprile

May - maggio

June - giugno

July - luglio

August - agosto

September - settembre

October - ottobre

November - novembre

December - dicembre

Days of the Week

English - Italian

Sunday - domenica

Monday - lunedì

Tuesday - martedì

Wednesday - mercoledì

Thursday - giovedì

Friday - venerdì

Saturday - sabato

Times of the Day

Italian birth and death records often indicated the exact time of day when the birth or death occurred. This is usually written out.

English - Italian

afternoon - pomeriggio

at the 16th hour - alle ore sedici ;eg:(4:00 P.M.)

before noon - ante meridiane

day - giorno

evening - sera

hour - ora

midday - mezzogiorno

midnight - mezzanotte

month - mese

monthly - mensile

morning - mattina

night - notte

of the month of - del mese di

on the day - addì

year - anno

yesterday - ieri

yesterday evening - iersera

yesterday morning - iermattina

Alphabetical

The following list first shows the Italian word followed by the English word.

A

a - at, to

abbiamo - we have

abbiente - owner

abbracciatutto - jack-of-all-trades

abiatico - grandson

abitante - inhabitant

abitare - to live

abitazione - home, residence

a cagione di - because of

a casa - at home

accanto - beside

accusato - accused, charged

addì - on the day

adesso - now

adottato, -a - adopted

adultero, -a - adulterer

affinità - relationship

affittuario, -a - renter, tenant

agente - agent

agosto - August

agricoltore - farmer

albergatore - innkeeper

albero genealogico - pedigree

alcuni, -e - some

alcuno, -a - any, some

alias - alias, also known as

alla nascita - time of birth

allegati - supplements

alle ore - at the hour

allevatore - animal feeder

allora - then

all’uopo - to this end

almeno - at least

alto - high

altresì - also, too

altre volte - formerly

altro - other, else

ambedue - both

amico, -a - friend

amministratore - steward, manager

amministrazione - administration

amogliato - took a wife

anche - also

ancora - yet, still

andiamo - right away, immediately

anime - parish census

annegato - drowned

anni - years

anniversariov anniversary

anno - year

annotazioni - annotations

annuale - annual, yearly

antenato, -i - ancestor(s)

anzidetta - aforesaid

anzitutto - first of all, initially

appartenenza religiosa - religious affiliation

appartienev - pertains

appena - as soon as

apprendista - apprentice

appresso - after, the next

aprile - April

araldica - heraldry

aratore - plowman

archivi - archives

archivi di stato - state archives

arrivo - arrival, immigration

artefice - maker

ascesso - abscess

asma - asthma

assessore comunale - alderman

attacco - seizure

attesa - awaiting

atti diversi - miscellaneous records

atto di matrimonio - marriage certificate

atto di morte - death certificate

atto di nascita - birth certificate

austriaco - Austrian

ava materna - maternal grandmother

avanti di - before

ava paterna - paternal grandmother

avere - to have

avi - ancestors

avo - ancestor

avo materno - maternal grandfather

avo paterno - paternal grandfather

avoro, -a - grandfather (grandmother)

avvocato - lawyer

B

babbo - father

bambina illegittima - illegitimate girl

bambini - children

bambino, -a - child, baby

bambino illegittimo - illegitimate boy

banchiere - banker

bandi di matrimonio - marriage banns, notices

barbiere - barber

barca, fabbricatore di - boat maker

barcaiolo - boatman

barilaio - cooper, barrel maker

barista - bartender

barone - baron

basso - low

bastardo, -a - illegitimate child

battesimale - baptismal

battesimo - baptism

battezzare - baptize

battezzarono they - baptized

battezzato, -a - baptized

battezzo - baptized

beccaio - butcher

beccamorti - grave digger

becchino - grave digger

benché - although

benestante - wealthy person

beni immobili - real property, real estate

beni stabili - real property, real estate

bettoliere - tavern keeper

bianco - white

biblioteche - libraries

bidello - janitor

bifolco - plowman

biografia - biography

birraio - barkeeper, brewer

bisavo, -a - great-grandfather (greatgrandmother)

bisavolo, -a - great-grandfather (greatgrandmother)

bis-bisnonno - second great-grandfather

bisnonna - great-grandmother

bisnonno - great-grandfather

boaro - cattle hand

borghese - burgher, citizen

bottaio - cooper, barrel maker

bottegaio - shopkeeper

bovaro - cattle driver

bracciale - laborer

bracciante - farm laborer

bucataia - washwoman

buio - dark

buono, -a - good

burraio - dairyman

C

cacciatore - hunter

caduto - fallen

cafone - peasant

calderaio - tinker

calzolaio - shoemaker

cameriera - maid, servant girl

cameriere - waiter

cameriere di casa - house steward

campagna - countryside, rural

campagnuolo, -a - countryman, countrywoman

cancro - cancer

cantante - singer (male)

cantatrice - singer (female)

capofamiglia - family head

capostipite -family founder, earliest ancestor

cappellaio - hatter

carabiniere - policeman

carbonaio - coal dealer

carraio - wheelwright

carte - maps, charts

casa - house

casaro - dairy farmer

cassa - chest, cash, cashier

cassetta - chest

castaldo - land agent

castello - castle

catasto - land register

cattolico, -a - Roman Catholic

cavaliere - knight

ce - us

celebrare il matrimonio - solemnize a marriage

celibe - bachelor, bachelorette, single, unmarried

censimento - census

centesimo, -a - hundredth

cento - hundred

certificato - certificate

certifichiamo - we certify

cfr. = confronta - compare

che - which, than, what, who, that, whom

chi - who, whom

chiesa - church

chiesa ortodossa - Greek Catholic

chilometro - kilometer

chimico - chemist

chirurgo - surgeon

chiunque - whoever

ci - there, us, to us

ciabattino - cobbler

cimitero - cemetery

cinquanta - fifty

cinquantesimo, -a - fiftieth

cinque - five

ciò - that

cioè - that is, namely

circa - about, approximately

città - city, town

cittadinanze - citizenship

cittadino, -a - citizen

c. m. - [corrente mese] current month

cocchiere - coachman

cognato, -a - brother-in-law, sister-in-law

cognome, -i - surname(s)

col consenso - with the consent

colera - cholera

collina - hill

colono - farmer, colonist

coltivatore - cultivator, farmer

come - as, like, how

come sopra - as above

commerciante di vino - wine merchant

commissionario - broker

compenso - fee

comprare - to buy

comune - municipality

comunione - communion

comunità - community, township

con - with

conciatore - tanner

concubina - concubine

condizione - status, condition

conducente - driver

confermazione - confirmation

confettiere - confectioner

congiunto - related

coniugati - married

coniugi - married couple

connessione - relationship

consenso - consent

conservato - preserved

consigliere - counselor

contabile - accountant

contadino, -a - farm laborer, peasant

conte - count, earl

contea - county

conto - account, bill

contrada - town quarter

contratto di matrimonio - marriage contract

contro - against

conversione - conversion

convivente - cohabitant

convulsione,-i - convulsion(s)

copie civili di registri parrocchiali - parish register transcripts

cordaio - rope maker

corrente - current

corriere - courier

corte - court

così - thus, so

costruttore - builder

cresima - confirmation

cresimato, -i - confirmee(s)

cristiano, -a - Christian (or Catholic)

croato - Croat

cucitrice - seamstress

cugino, -a - cousin

cuoco - cook

cuore - heart

D

d. = don - respectful male title

da - from, of

dagli - from the (plural)

dal - from the

dalla - from the

dalle - from the (plural)

dallo - from the

danaro - money

data - date

debolezza della vecchiaia - weakness of old age

decennale - decennial

decennio - decade

decesso, -a - deceased, late

decimo, -a - tenth

defunto, -a - deceased person

degli - of the

degno - worthy

dei - of the, from the (plural)

del - of the

della - of the

delle - of the (plural), some

dello - of the

del mese di - of the month of

denaro - money

dentizione - teething

descrizione - description

destra - right (direction)

d’età di - of the age of

detto - said, alias, also known as

di - of, about, concerning

di anni - age

diarrea - diarrhea

di buon’ora - early (A.M.)

dicembre - December

dichiarante - informant

dichiarare - to declare

dichiarato che - declared that

dichiarazione - declaration

diciannove - nineteen

diciannovesimo, -a - nineteenth

diciassette - seventeen

diciassettesimo, -a - seventeenth

diciottesimo, -a - eighteenth

diciotto - eighteen

dieci - ten

dietro - behind

dietro scritto - after signed

difterite - diphtheria

di ieri - yesterday’s

di mattina - in the morning

diocesi - diocese

di pomeriggio - in the afternoon

discendente - descendant

di sera - in the evening

disopra - above

di sotto - below

dispensa di matrimonio - marriage license

disposto - disposed

dissenteria - dysentery

disteso - extended

distretto di - district of

diventare - become

diversi - miscellaneous

divorziare - divorce (verb)

divorzio - divorce (noun)

dizionari geografici - gazetteers

dizionario - dictionary

documenti - records

documenti d’emigrazione - emigration records

documento - record

dodicesimo, -a - twelfth

dodici - twelve

doganiere, doganieri - customs officer(s)

domani - tomorrow

domenica - Sunday

domestica - housekeeper

domiciliato - residing

don - respectful man’s title

donazione - donation

donna - respectful woman’s title

donna di casa - housewife

dono - donation, gift

dopo - after

dopodomani - day after tomorrow

doppio - duplicate record

dottore - doctor

dove - where

dov’è? - where is?

droghiere - druggist, grocer

duca - duke

ducato - duchy

duchessa - duchess

due - two

duecentesimo, -a - two hundredth

duecento - two hundred

dunque - therefore

duplicato - duplicate record

durante - during

E

e, ed - and

è - is

ebanista - cabinetmaker

ebreo, -a - Jew, Jewess, Jewish

eccetto - except

ecco - here is, here are, there is, there are

è comparso, -a - appeared

ed, e - and

egli - he

elenco - list, directory

elenco dei membri - membership list

ella - she

ella stessa - herself

emigrante - emigrant

emigrazione - emigration

è morto - died

è nato - was born

enfiagione - swelling

ép. = é sposato - married

epilessia - epilepsy

eppure - yet, nevertheless

erbivendolo - green grocer

eseguito, -a - executed (a marriage)

essa - she, it, her, this, that

esse - they, them

essendo - being, acting as

essere - to be

essi - they, them

esso - it

esso stesso - itself

est - east

è stato celebrato - was celebrated

è stato presentato - was presented

esterno - outside

estratto - extract

estrema unzione - last rites

età - age

evento - event

F

fa - ago

fabbricante - manufacturer

fabbricante di tessuto - cloth maker, draper

fabbro - smith

factotum - handyman

falegname - joiner, carpenter

famiglia - family

fanciulla - maiden, young girl

fanciullo - young boy

fante - foot soldier

fatta, -o - done, made

fattore - farmer, creator, maker

febbraio - February

febbre - fever

fede di nascita - birth certificate

femmina - female

femminile - feminine

femminino - femininity

ferraio - blacksmith

feudo - fief, manor

fiacchezza - weakness

fidanzamento - betrothal, engagement to marry

fidanzarsi - to become engaged

fidanzata - fiancée (female)

fidanzato - fiancé (male)

fidanzato - betrothed, engaged

figli - children

figlia di - daughter of

figliastro, -a - stepchild

figlioccio, -a - godchild

figlio di - son of

filatore - spinner

filatrice - spinner

fioraio - florist

firma di - signature of

firmato - signed

fittaiolo - tenant farmer

fiume - river

foresta - forest

forestiero - foreigner, alien

fornaio - baker

forse - perhaps, maybe

fortezza - fortress

fosse - was

fra - between, among

francese - French

fratellastro - half brother

fratello - brother

frazione - hamlet

frontiera - border

fruttaiolo - fruit dealer

fruttivendolo - fruit merchant

fu - late, deceased, was

fu battezzato - was baptized

fu cresimato - was confirmed

funzione di membro - membership list

fuori - out

furono - were

futuro - future

G

gemelli - twins

gemello, -a - twin

gendarme - policeman

genealogia - genealogy

generato - born

genitora, -e - mother(s)

genitore, -i - father(s)

genitori - fathers or parents

genitori ignoti - parents unknown

gennaio - January

gente per bene - gentry

già - already

giacchè - inasmuch as

giammai - never

giardiniere - gardener

gioielliere - jeweler

giornale - newspaper

giornaliero - day laborer

giorno - day

giovane - young

giovedì - Thursday

gioventù - youth

giovinezza - youth

giudaico - Jewish

giudice - judge

giugno - June

giurato - juror

gli, gl’ - the, to him

gotta - gout

grande - large, great

grosso, grande - big, great

guardaboschi - forester

guardia - guard

guardiano - watchman

H

ha - (s)he has, you have

ha contratto matrimonio - has contracted marriage

hanno - you have, they have

I

i, gli, le - the (plural)

idropisia - dropsy, edema

ieri - yesterday

ignoto - unknown

il, lo, la - the (feminine singular)

il deceduto - the deceased

il giorno di ieri - the previous day

il giorno prossimo - the following day

illegittimo - illegitimate

il loro - their (masculine singular)

i loro - their (masculine plural)

il (la) più vecchio, -a - oldest, eldest

il registro di tassa - tax ledger

imbianchino - plasterer

immigrante - immigrant

immigrazione - immigration

imperiale - royal, imperial

impero - empire

impiegato di tribunale - court clerk

impiegato d’ufficio - clerk

in - in

incinta - pregnant

incisore - engraver

indetto - held. When used following the Italian word for day or month, it means (the event happened) the same day or month the record was written.